“To match Pete’s record is a dream come true,” Novak Djokovic after record equaling year-end number one ranking

“To match Pete’s record is a dream come true,” Novak Djokovic after record equaling year-end number one ranking
djokovic sampras
Novak Djokovic equaled Sampras’s record of 6 year-end finishes on top of the rankings

Novak Djokovic confirmed his year-end ranking of World number one for a record-equaling 6th time. His quarterfinal run in Vienna was enough to hand him the year end number one ranking. With this milestone, the Serbian equaled Pete Sampras’s record, a player whom he used to look up to in his younger days. Djokovic finished at the top of the rankings in 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2018 and 2020.

Speaking to the ATP Website, Novak Djokovic said, “Pete was somebody I looked up to when I was growing up, so to match his record is a dream come true.” He also put emphasis on the constant need to improve as a player. The Serbian said, “I will also keep striving to be a better player, hopefully have more success and break more records in a sport I love with all my heart.”

Novak Djokovic aims to win his 6th ATP Finals title

novak djokovic 2015 nitto atp finals
Novak Djokovic with his Nitto ATP Finals 2015 trophy

After his disappointing loss in the Vienna Open quarterfinals to Lorenzo Sonego, the Serbian will headline the Nitto ATP Finals alongside Rafael Nadal. Novak Djokovic has enjoyed tremendous success at the ATP Finals, having won it 5 times in the past in 2008, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015. Djokovic enjoyed four consecutive titles in London between 2012-15, defeating Federer thrice and Nadal once in the finals.

Last year, the Serbian was knocked out in the Round-robin stage of the Nitto ATP Finals after losing his matches against Dominic Thiem and Roger Federer. Djokovic will be well rested in lead up to the event in London as he decided to not play the Paris Masters 2020 after a new points system was announced. He will look forward to ending his year on a high, which will give him a boost for an all important 2021 season.

Also Read: Road to Nitto ATP Finals: Overview of Novak Djokovic’s 2020 season, Past Performance and Prediction for ATP Finals 2020